Perhaps this should be called the lazy cook’s chicken dinner. I love the convenience of one pot dinners. I could happily eat soup or chili every night, just to avoid washing extra dishes. However, my kids prefer meals with a main course and separate side dishes. This recipe has the convenience of being prepared in one pot while allowing my kids to feel like they are eating a proper Sunday dinner.

One Pot Chicken Dinner

Yield – 4 servings

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 60 minutes

Ingredients

splash of olive oil

1 – 1 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into 3 – 4 ounce pieces

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound red potatoes, halved or quartered if large

1 pound carrots, cut into 1 inch long pieces

4 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons thyme

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon basil

1 tablespoon parsley

dash of salt and pepper

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

Brush the bottom of a large pot with olive oil. Add chicken and cook over a medium-high heat until both sides are golden brown about 8 – 10 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot ( I put the chicken pieces on the lid because it means 1 less dish to wash later).

While the meat is browning, I roughly chop the vegetables. Once the meat is removed from the pot, put the onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, and celery in the pot. Cook over a medium-high heat, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and spices to the vegetables. Cook over medium-high heat until it reaches a boil. Place chicken on top of the veggies, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place lid on pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer until veggies are fork tender and meat is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the veggies to a platter, top with chicken pieces, cover and place in oven to keep warm.

Add cornstarch to leftover broth and cook over high heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Spoon gravy into a gravy boat or pour directly over the top of the chicken and vegetables if you really don’t like doing dishes! 😉

What tricks do you have for reducing dishes? Eating out and paper plates don’t count! 🙂

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Alea Milham shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home at Premeditated Leftovers. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less. Alea can be found on Twitter and Facebook.
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When I make a recipe that calls for chicken and chicken broth,I put the chicken in water in the same amount as listed for the broth.I also add the spices in the water.This way I don’t have to keep canned broth on hand.I made a recipe similar to this last week and it was very good with a loaf of home made bread.